Procurement Director - Global 3rd Party Materials

3M•Maplewood, MN

2d•$287,281 - $351,122•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, 3rd Party Materials - Global Procurement is responsible for developing and executing procurement and category strategies across packaging materials and related supply markets throughout the Americas region. This role provides strategic leadership for supplier relationships, category management, supply continuity, cost competitiveness, sustainability, innovation, and risk mitigation while supporting 3M's growth, operational excellence, and new product development initiatives. The position partners closely with business groups, manufacturing, engineering, quality, R&D, supply chain, finance, and regional/global procurement teams to leverage 3M's purchasing scale, accelerate supplier innovation, and create sustainable competitive advantage. The Senior Manager leads a team of procurement professionals and serves as a key advisor to business leadership on packaging market trends, supplier capabilities, and sourcing strategies. This role supports Divisions across 3M, giving the successful candidate broad exposure to 3M’s diverse businesses & products.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher (completed and verified prior to start)
Ten (10) years of Sourcing, Procurement, Logistics, Supply Chain, Engineering and/or Manufacturing experience in a private, public, government or military environment
Five (5) years of leadership or people management experience

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Sourcing, Procurement, Logistics, Supply Chain, Engineering and/or Manufacturing from an accredited institution
Demonstrated results in strong negotiation skills and attention to detail
Initiative, self-starter with a positive & pro-active approach; Project management experience
Experience successfully collaborating with internal and external stakeholders on complex projects. Appropriately engages with stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
Knowledge of digital procurement initiatives.
Skilled in written and oral communications.
Willingness to have difficult discussions.
Financial acumen and comfort with conducting business analytics

Responsibilities

Own global category strategy development and execution for Molding, Metals, Electronics, Tapes, Abrasives, and Films, ensuring alignment with business growth plans, manufacturing needs, and customer requirements.
Translate market intelligence-raw material trends, supplier capacity, technology shifts, and competitive dynamics-into actionable sourcing strategies across each sub-category.
Lead supply-base optimization and rationalization efforts to balance cost, quality, resiliency, and innovation.
Identify and prioritize sourcing initiatives that deliver measurable improvements in total value delivered to the business.
Embed procurement early in the product development lifecycle, partnering with R&D, Design, Engineering, and Marketing to influence material selection, supplier capability, and cost targets from concept through launch.
Build and manage a global NPI supplier pipeline across relevant material categories, ensuring suppliers are qualified, capacity-ready, and technically capable to support new product launches on schedule.
Establish governance and stage-gate processes for procurement involvement in NPI, ensuring consistent global execution across regions and portfolios.
Balance speed-to-market pressures with cost, quality, and supply risk considerations specific to consumer product launches (e.g., shorter lifecycles, higher SKU variability, retail timing constraints).
Partner with category teams (Molding, Metals, Electronics, Tapes, Abrasives, Films) to ensure NPI sourcing decisions align with broader category strategy, supplier roadmaps, and negotiated commercial terms.
Track and report NPI procurement performance metrics (e.g., on-time supplier readiness, cost-to-target achievement, launch delay risk) to business and procurement leadership.
Build and maintain strategic, global partnerships with key suppliers across all six material categories.
Lead supplier selection, qualification, and performance management, including executive business reviews and formal improvement plans where needed.
Drive supplier-led innovation to support new product development and advancements in materials and process technology (e.g., molding compounds, metal alloys, electronic components, adhesive tapes, abrasive media, film substrates).
Develop multi-year supplier roadmaps aligned to 3M's technology and business requirements, with specific attention to suppliers critical to Consumer Business Group NPI pipelines.
Lead complex, global commercial negotiations and manage long-term supply agreements across diverse material categories.
Apply should-cost modeling, market intelligence, and total-cost-of-ownership analysis to drive value-based sourcing decisions.
Deliver annual productivity, cost reduction, and working capital targets, including cost-to-target achievement for NPI programs.
Partner with Legal, Finance, and business stakeholders on contract structuring, risk allocation, and commercial terms.
Develop strategies that strengthen supply resiliency, particularly given the geographic concentration and technical complexity of electronics and metals supply chains.
Advance supplier sustainability, responsible sourcing, and environmental compliance across all categories.
Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory, quality, and supplier governance standards (e.g., conflict minerals, RoHS/REACH for electronics, material safety standards for abrasives and tapes).
Proactively monitor and mitigate risks related to commodity price volatility, capacity constraints, geopolitical exposure, and logistics disruption-including risks specific to NPI launch timelines.
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing global procurement team across multiple material sub-categories and NPI program engagements.
Influence and align stakeholders across manufacturing, engineering, R&D, quality, operations, Consumer Business Group leadership, and executive leadership.
Champion procurement transformation initiatives, including digital procurement tools and category management best practices.
Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and customer focus across a technically diverse category portfolio and fast-paced NPI environment.
Responsibilities of this position include that corporate policies, procedures and security standards are complied with while performing assigned duties.
Safety is a core value at 3M. All employees are expected to contribute to a strong Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) culture by following safety policies, identifying hazards, and engaging in continuous improvement.